


Misery Loves Company

by Redqueenswrath



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Asexual Castiel (Supernatural), Blowjobs, Brainmelting frottage, Castiel is a Little Shit, Castiel is the best baby brother ever, Impala Sex, M/M, Oblivious Dean, Pining Gabriel, Rim job, Road Head, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-10-29 04:44:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10846728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redqueenswrath/pseuds/Redqueenswrath
Summary: Dean admits his Big Gay Crush on Castiel. Castiel is asexual and rejects his advances. Gabriel swoops in and saves the day! (Not really. But the knuckleheads will eventually fumble their way to a relationship. Maybe.)





	1. Chapter One

Castiel’s return to fully-powered Seraph status at the hands of Gabriel had been nothing short of a relief, of course. The angel had spent several years living as a human and it had been a very uncomfortable experience. Having his Grace and wings returned to him was the best feeling he had ever experienced. However, it left him at a bit of an impasse- what was he? In his time as a human, he had resigned himself to mortal status for whatever years remained him. He had adjusted well, all considered. Castiel had become a fine hunter under the tutelage of the Winchesters. He had learned to drive. He had learned to go grocery shopping. He had spent a week in the hospital with pneumonia. He had even tried dating. Every date had been an abysmal failure, but he had tried all the same. Men, women, it made no difference. He simply felt nothing for them outside of a friendly affection. After a while, he had just given up. And then Gabriel had flounced back into their lives, kicking in the bunker door and screaming  _ “BOOM, BABY!”  _ at the top of his lungs. Less than five minutes later, Castiel was an angel again.

 

That had been when Dean finally decided to nut up and tell his friend what he felt for him. Well, not so much  _ tell _ him as corner him in the bunker library and press a whiskey-laced kiss to Castiel’s chapped lips. And then everything went to Hell.

 

It took Dean longer than it should have to realize that Castiel wasn't kissing him back. In fact, the angel had gone absolutely rigid.

 

“Cas…?” Dean's voice was hoarse with fear. The angel looked heartbroken as he gently pulled away.

 

“I'm so sorry, Dean. I can't. I just can't.” Dean's face clouded over.

 

“Can't? What do ya mean you can't?” He spat.

 

Castiel winced. “Dean, I've come to realize that I am asexual.” 

 

“What the hell, man? All those people you went out with, the reaper you screwed, and  _ just now _ you're asexual?” Castiel tried not to cringe under the venom in the other man’s voice.

 

“Every single date ended exactly like this. And you know for a fact that the reaper coerced me into it. I did not get any more sexual pleasure from the act than I do from eating a pancake.” He shook his head sadly.

 

“And for that matter, how do you even know the term asexual?”

 

Castiel sighed heavily. “Sam told me. After the fifth such incident, I asked him if something was wrong with me. He was able to tell me why I was not responding to sexual advances. I've tried, Dean. Father knows I've tried. But I just am not ‘wired’ for it.”

 

Dean's anger fled, replaced by soul-deep pain. “What about all that ‘profound bond’ crap you've spouted before?”

 

“It's true, we do share a deep bond. But it is not, and has never been, of a sexual nature. I love you. I love Sam. I even love Bobby. But I'm not  _ in _ love with any of you. Please Dean, try to understand…” Castiel trailed off, reaching for his friend. Dean flinched back a little, and it broke the Seraph's heart even more. But then the human set his shoulders and leaned in for a hug. He buried his nose against the ever-present trench coat.

 

“Sonovabitch, ‘m sorry Cas. I've fucked it all up. Again.” Dean mumbled into Castiel’s collar. 

 

The angel shook his head. “No, Dean. Nothing has changed. I am, and will always be, your friend.” Dean gave a slightly wet sounding chuckle.

 

“Did you just  _ Star Trek  _ me, man?” The green-eyed man pulled away, shaking himself as if to shrug off the whole incident. Castiel hummed in amusement.

 

“I'm sorry, Cas.”

 

“There's nothing to apologise for, Dean.” 

 

Green eyes met sky-blue. “Look, can we forget this ever happened?” Castiel smiled gently, recognising the Winchester patented allergy to ‘chick flick moments’.

 

“Of course, Dean.” Dean sighed.

 

“Ok. Tomorrow, everything goes back to the way it was. But don't be offended if I ask you to leave me alone for the night.” 

 

Castiel cocked his head in confusion. “Of course, but why?” Dean winced.

 

“Because my wounded pride and I have a date with Jack Daniels.” 

 

The angel’s face instantly hardened. “You feel the need to ‘drink away’ how you feel about me?” Hurt colored his voice, but Dean’s already alcohol-fogged mind took it for anger.

 

“What the hell’s it to you?” Dean glared.

 

“It is not a very healthy coping mechanism, given how gentle and considerate I tried to be.” 

 

The anger returned to Dean’s features in the blink of an eye. “Well fuck you, because you don't get to pass judgement on how I cope with having my heart broken!”

 

Now Castiel was getting pissed off too. “And why should I have leave? This is my home, too!” 

 

“Because I can't look at you right now!” Castiel reared back as though Dean had slapped him. His eyes flashed.

 

“If that's the way you feel, fine.” The angel vanished in a flurry of unseen feathers. Dean’s incoherent howl of anger and hurt could be heard as far as the kitchen.

 

***** 

 

Gabriel damned near jumped out of his vessel at the animalistic scream echoing through the bunker. He blasted his Grace outwards, certain that someone was being murdered by a monster that had  _ somehow _ circumvented the bunker’s defenses, but all his ‘spidey senses’ found was a very angry and distraught Winchester.  _ What the hell? _

 

At first, Gabriel decided to keep his nose out of it. Nobody was in danger of dying, so whatever was going on wasn't his business. If he left a small ‘tag’ of Grace on the elder Winchester, it was purely accidental of course. And if that tag kept him updated on Dean’s rapidly deteriorating mental state, it was absolutely involuntary, you see. 

 

The Archangel cringed slightly as he felt Dean fling his now empty bottle across the room, where it shattered against the wall, and throw himself down on the couch. Well, mostly on the couch. Probably 50% on it, anyways. Maybe. When he noticed that Dean was making no move to crawl further onto the furniture, Gabriel realized that he must have passed out. Damn, whatever had gone down must have been  _ bad. _

 

With a long suffering sigh, Gabriel dropped his bowl of ice cream on the counter and hopped down. He padded down the hallway, past the War Room, and into the library. As he had predicted, Dean was out for the count. To say that the human looked like shit was to be too kind about it.

 

“Damn, Dean…” Gabriel sighed. He carefully hauled Dean fully up onto the cushions. Once the human was settled, Gabriel got a good look at him. He didn't like what he saw. Dean was well and truly trashed, verging on alcohol poisoning. He had clearly been crying and his bloody knuckles proved that he had punched a wall at some point. His hand was alarmingly swollen. A quick Grace-powered diagnostic check confirmed Gabriel’s suspicions- his hand was broken in two places. The man was severely dehydrated, his liver was badly overtaxed, and his blood pressure was sky high. 

 

“Dean…” Gabriel breathed, shocked at the state the man had worked himself into. Curious about the cause, the angel carefully went traipsing through his most recent memories. They were fogged by a concerning amount of whiskey, but the whole debacle was clear. Gabriel’s heart clenched in sympathy- he knew all too well that rejection was a painful thing.

 

With a sad hum, Gabriel decided to not let him suffer any more than he already had. He let a trickle of his Grace wind its way through Dean’s body, fixing the damage as it went. First, he knitted the fractured bones in Dean's hand. Then, he shored up the man’s struggling liver and eased the dehydration that would otherwise cause the mother of all hangovers. He nudged Dean’s perpetually damaged shoulder back into place and strengthened the joint. When Gabriel noticed the weakening blood vessel in Dean's brain, he immediately repaired it. Here and there, he fixed badly healed breaks and ill-healed muscle tears. 

 

Satisfied with his physical repairs, Gabriel went to work on the mental trauma. The sting of rejection was soothed until it was barely a prickle. Memories of Hell were nudged back into the dusty corners of Dean’s mind and tamped down. Gabriel didn't dare try to wall them off, Sam was living proof that it was a Bad Idea to do that. Instead, he just hushed them, muted the pain and flashbacks until they wouldn't interfere with Dean's daily ability to function.

 

Finally, a gentle brush of fingers on the hunter’s temple shooed away the alcohol-induced nightmare Gabriel could feel building. He replaced it with a highlight reel of Dean’s favorite memories- shooting fireworks with Sam, driving his Baby, hanging out at Bobby’s house... The former Trickster watched with an indulgent smile until one memory made him freeze. Gabriel’s heart stuttered and danced as the memory of him and Dean working on Castiel’s chosen car played out. Their hands barely brushed as Dean passed the Archangel a wrench and the hunter’s mind flared a warm, pleased gold color. 

 

Gabriel wrenched himself out of the memory, startled and shaken to his core.  _ What on earth? _

He jumped to his feet and retrieved a blanket to drape over Dean's snoring form. He placed a bottle of Advil and a Gatorade on the table by Dean’s head and strategically positioned a bucket just in case before snapping himself off with shaking fingers. He and Castiel needed to have a “Come to Dad” talk.


	2. Chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The UST ratchets up another notch or six

Dean was afraid to open his eyes. The pain hadn't kicked in yet, but he had endured enough hangovers to know that it was coming. His warm, cosy reprieve couldn't possibly last long, and putting off the inevitable wasn't going to help him. The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could drag himself to the bathroom. Dean just prayed he could make it there in time.

 

_ “Come on, Winchester. Are you a man or a munchkin? On the count of three. One...two…”  _ Dean braced himself for the searing pain as he cracked his eyes open, but it never came. Huh. Confused, the human slowly sat up. His head throbbed a little, but it was nowhere near as severe as he had feared. His knee hit the bucket beside the couch. He leaned over it, anticipating overwhelming nausea, but nothing happened. 

 

“The hell?” Dean muttered. He was certainly grateful for the hangover-that-wasn’t, but now he was just plain confused. The hunter’s eyes landed on the tablets and Gatorade on the table and he smiled. Sammy. Sam must have woken him up and poured painkillers and fluids into him while he had been in blackout land. Why the Sasquatch hadn't lugged him back to his own bed instead of tucking him in on the couch was a mystery, but Dean wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He made a mental note to thank his baby brother as he popped the tablets and chases them with half the bottle.

 

All in all Dean felt pretty damned good, considering the heartbreak-induced bender he had gone on the night before. He definitely owed Sam a ‘you're an awesome brother’ breakfast. Mind made up, Dean trampes off to the bathroom to brush the sweaters off his teeth before starting a batch of pancakes for breakfast. 

 

Not ten minutes later, Dean heard the bunker door slam and Sam staggered into the kitchen. The younger Winchester looked like Dean had expected to feel when he woke up.

 

“Dude, what the hell happened to  _ you? _ I mean, I appreciate you taking care of me and everything but you didn't have to go make up for it! One Winchester on a bender at a time, please.”

 

Sam looked at him like he had grown a second head before resting his forehead on the table. “What are you  _ talking about? _ And would it kill you to lower the volume before I hurl on you?” 

 

“I mean you pumping me full of water and painkillers while I was blacked out, but not being smart enough to do the same for yourself.” Dean set a cup of cream and sugar with some coffee splashed in it in front of his miserable brother. Sam grunted in thanks and sipped at it for a few long moments.

 

“Dean, I wasn't here last night. Remember? I told you I was going to the bar. I...uh… found somewhere else to sleep.”  

 

Dean grinned proudly. “Attaboy, Sammy!” A moment later, he froze. “Wait. If you didn't take care of me, who did?” 

 

Sam motioned for a refill of his coffee. “Cas, I’m sure.” Dean shook his head.

 

“Cas and I…. Well, we had a fight last night and he took off.” Sam squinted at him in confusion.

 

“Must’ve been Gabriel then.” Sam mumbled into his mug. 

 

_ “What the shit?” _ Dean was absolutely stumped as to why the Trickster might have taken the time to clean him up, nothing less prevent the five alarm hangover Dean had been due for. The older man plopped a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of Sam, along with a bottle of painkillers.

 

“Eat up, little bro. You'll feel better.” Sam looked extremely green around the gills as he obediently nibbled a slice of bacon. Dean left him to it- He had a few questions for the Archangel of Sarcasm.

 

*********

 

Dean found Gabriel right where he expected to- parked in front of the massive flatscreen TV in the den, playing Call of Duty and stomping a hole in a bunch of noobs. The human paused at the door frame and watched with amusement.

 

“Yeah! Come get some, bitches!” the angel racked up a rapid fire kill streak. “That all you've got? I could fuck your mother while playing and still do better than that!” Dean snorted. There was still plenty of Loki in the Archangel.

 

The game ended and Gabriel looked up, his eyes dancing. “Dean-o! To what do I owe this dubious pleasure? Come to watch me lay waste to a bunch of teenagers, have you?”

 

“That's like shooting fish in a barrel!” Dean scoffed.

 

Gabriel's eyes flashed gold. “Is that a challenge, Winchester?”

 

“You bet your feathery ass it is!” The archangel threw a second controller at him.

 

“Put your money where your mouth is, sweetheart.” Gabriel grinned. Dean snagged his headset and threw himself on the couch beside the other man.

 

“Match begins in ten… nine…”

 

********

 

“Admit defeat, Winchester!” Gabriel crowed. Dean scowled at him.

 

“Pull off shots like that in real life and then I'll be impressed.” 

 

Gabriel chuckled. “You name the place and time, big boy.” Dean cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

“Is that a challenge, Gabe?”

 

The ArchHerald snickered, leaning back and stretching lazily. “Dean-o, I can outshoot your ass any day of the week.”

 

Dean set his controller down and hopped up. He utterly ignored the way his knee creaked in protest. “Come on, then.” He started for the door. Gabriel stared at him, trying to catch up with the conversation. Dean turned to look at him, a cocky grin firmly on his face.

 

“Nut up or shut up, Gabriel. Gun range, ten minutes.” The Winchester spun on his heel and made his escape. Gabriel stared after him, a slow, wicked grin growing. Oh, putting the human in his place was going to be  _ fun. _

 

By the time Gabriel caught up, Dean was already loading spare magazines for his favorite pistol, a .40 Sig Sauer that Bobby had ‘acquired’ for him years ago. Dean loaded his gun and dialed in on the black silhouette target, putting five rapid-fire shots directly center mass from fifteen yards away. Gabriel scoffed. 

 

“Child’s play.” The Archangel snapped and the target shrank by about a third. Gabriel accepted the pistol and called his target, “Five headshots!” before following through with one to the groin of the figure. Dean winced.

 

Back and forth they went, changing targets for smaller and smaller items. Gabriel sent a frisbee sailing down range, which Dean easily picked off. The Winchester followed up with a quarter. Gabriel put a neat shot directly through poor George’s skull. 

 

Dean glared at him. “You're cheating.”

 

“Say again?” Gabriel shot back, loading the pistol again. Dean eyeballed it before replying.

 

“You. Are. A. Cheater. You're using your Grace. You have to rely on mojo to do shit that I've been able to pull off since I turned ten.” Gabriel's eyes flashed amber. 

 

“Even without my Grace, I could still kick your ass.” He racked the slide to punctuate his statement. Dean snorted. 

 

“Bullshit. Cas tried to claim that, and got his ass handed to him by Jimmy’s teenage daughter the second he turned human.”

 

Gabriel laughed derisively. “Poor Cassie didn't know the first thing about being human. I'm not him.”

 

“You've got that right…” Dean muttered under his breath. Gabriel glanced sideways at him, taking in the wounded expression the man was wearing, and decided to steer clear of that particular landmine.

 

“Face facts, Dean-o. I'm the superior species here.” 

 

“I'll believe that when I see it.” Gabriel glared at him, arms crossed defensively over his chest. He stared at Dean for several moments, long enough for the hunter to start feeling uncomfortable, then snapped his fingers. A small vial filled with what looked like amber light appeared in his hand. Gabriel seemed to stagger for a moment, but quickly recovered. He presented the vial to the human.

 

Dean took the strange object, turning it over in his hands. The vial was about two inches long and had a metal cap, marked with a strange rune. “The hell is this?” He asked.

 

“My Grace. So you can't claim I'm a cheater.” Dean stared at the Trickster, gobsmacked.

 

“And you're just handing it over? To  _ me? _ The guy that tried to fry you in holy oil?” Disbelief and shock colored the human's voice.

 

Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly, as though he hadn't just put himself completely at Dean's mercy. “I trust you.” Dean cradled the vial delicately, staring at it in awe. He tucked it into his breast pocket and buttoned it, patting it almost unconsciously. Gabriel quickly wiped the confused but pleased expression off his face before Dean saw it. He picked up the pistol again, sighting down range to cover his oddly happy reaction to Dean’s tender treatment of the vial.

 

Dean cleared his throat. “Alright Gabe, put your money where your mouth is.” Gabriel snorted.

 

“When you lose, you owe me drinks.” He sighted in and squeezed the trigger. 

 

“You  _ missed!” _ Dean crowed, pounding his fist on the bench in front of them. Gabriel glared at him before firing again. Another miss, wide and left of the paper target. He snarled in frustration and emptied the magazine. Every shot went way off target, and only one barely tagged the corner of the paper. A stray piece of hot brass hit the angel’s hand and he almost dropped the gun in shock.

 

“FUCK!” Gabriel barked, shaking his hand. Dean snatched the pistol out of his grip and set it down before catching the wounded hand in his own. Gabriel's mind ground to a screeching halt as Dean checked the injury.

 

“It’s just a minor brass burn. You're such a baby.” Dean scolded, but he gently rubbed the red spot to dissipate the pain. Gabriel's slackjawed noise of confusion wasn't his proudest snappy comeback.

 

Dean chuckled. “Holy shit, you’re a lousy shot.” Gabriel snatched his hand away, nursing his wound and damaged pride.

 

“What the Hell am I doing wrong?” The ArchHerald grumbled. Dean patted him on the shoulder.

 

“Trying to rely on reflexes that were from your Grace and not hours and hours of practice.” Gabriel mumbled something. “What was that?”

 

“I said ‘teach me’.” Dean gaped at him- Gabriel actually  _ asking _ for a lesson, even if it was begrudging, was absolutely unheard of. The human bit back the reflexive Big Brother  _ ‘ask me nicely’  _ retort that threatened to bubble up.

 

“Come here.” Dean guided the angel into position. 

 

“Plant your feet shoulder width apart.” He nudged Gabriel's boots with his own. 

 

“Keep your knees a little bent, not locked. There, that's right. Distribute your weight evenly. Good.” Dean guided Gabriel’s arms up with the reloaded pistol in his right hand. He pressed himself against the smaller man’s back, leaning over his right shoulder.

 

“Ok, hold it like this. Gentle grip. You're not trying to strangle it. That's better. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. Support your wrist with your off hand. Don't lock your elbows.” The hunter’s callused fingers guided Gabriel’s, easing him into the right position. The angel shivered whenever Dean's breath ghosted against the shell of his ear. 

 

“Ok, you're ready. Pick your target, line the sites up so the front one is centered and even with the rear. Just like that. Don't watch the sights too much, keep your eyes on your target. Don't lean into it.” Dean's left hand came down to Gabriel's hip, pulling him back a bit. “You can't lean into it, you're off balance.” Gabriel forgot how to breathe.

 

“Breathe in.” Dean's voice was barely more than a murmur now. “Alright, exhale and squeeze the trigger, don't jerk it.” Gabriel obeyed helplessly. The round firing came almost as a surprise. It tore through the center of the target, right where the heart would be.

 

“Good job.” Dean's lips were far, far, far too close to Gabriel's ear. He could feel the scorching heat of Dean’s body pressed against his, and swore he felt Dean’s heart thundering against his spine. Gabriel drew in a shaky breath and fired off eight more shots, going until the slide locked back. Every round landed perfectly.

 

“You're a natural, Gabe.” There was definitely pride in Dean's voice as he stepped back. Gabriel instantly mourned the loss of the hunter’s strong arms around him.  _ What the everloving fuck?  _ He shook himself before setting the pistol down. He held hand out expectantly. 

 

Dean didn't hesitate. He reached into his breast pocket and retrieved the Grace that Gabriel had entrusted him with. He turned it over to it's rightful owner with a grin. 

 

“So, you owe me drinks tonight. There's a decent bar in town if you want, or we can stay here. Either way, you drink like a human. It's only fair.” Gabriel chuckled and pocketed the vial. He was extremely proud of how well he kept the tremble out of his voice.

  
“You're on, Dean.” Gabriel fled for his room, breaking into a run as soon as he was out of earshot of the human. The angel was barely into his room with the door shut before his hand was down his jeans, stripping his aching cock fast and hard until he came with a muffled shout that absolutely did  _ not _ start with a ‘D’. Gabriel collapsed to the floor, legs shaking too much to support him- he had forgotten just how powerful a fully human orgasm could be. Father, he was so screwed.


	3. Chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry! *hides*

As Gabriel got ready to head out to the bar with Dean, his thoughts wandered. He turned the vial of his own Grace over and over in his hands. Extracting it had been painful, but showing his trust in the human has been worth it. Besides, it was nothing compared to the agony Cas has gone through when his was forcibly ripped out. Gabriel winced.

 

_ Cassie. _ Their most recent conversation was still fresh in the Archangel’s mind. Words of anger, then confusion, and finally forgiveness echoed through his mind.

 

_ “Cas, what the hell?”  Gabriel had found the younger angel hiding out on top of a dormant volcano in Hawaii,  watching the ocean. Gabriel sighed- still such a predictable fledgling. _

 

_ Castiel didn't even turn to look at him. “Why are you here, Gabriel?” The seraph’s dismissive tone rubbed Gabriel’s feathers the wrong way. _

 

_ “I want to know why you felt like you had to hurt Dean like that.” _

 

_ Castiel finally spun to face him, an angry scowl firmly in place. “I tried to be gentle. It is not my fault that he was drunk and took it poorly.”  _

 

_ “You could have sobered him up. You could have waited. You could have given it a shot and let him see it for himself.”  Gabriel scoffed.  _

 

_ “What about  _ me? _ Why are Dean's feelings the only ones that matter, here?” Gabriel's mouth snapped shut and he seemed to flounder for a few moments. _

 

_ “I just don't want either of them hurt again, ok?” _

 

_ Castiel's piercing blue eyes seemed to stare straight through the archangel. “You are lying. Tell me the truth, Gabriel.” _

 

_ Gabriel snorted. “You presume a lot, Cas. I still outrank your ass.” _

 

_ “What does any of this matter to you?” Castiel pried. _

 

_ Gabriel's eyes flashed. “Drop it, Castiel.” _

 

_ “No, tell me. Why do you care so much about me rejecting Dean?” Gabriel crossed his arms and looked away, glaring at a rock as though it had personally offended him.  _

 

_ Castiel gave a soft gasp. “You  _ love  _ him.” It wasn't a question. Gabriel snorted. _

 

_ “ _ Love _ is a bit strong of a word.”  _

 

 _Castiel’_ s _wings_ _flicked out from their hiding place. He very tentatively extended one towards Gabriel_. _The Trickster smiled ruefully and returned the gesture, bringing his massive golden wings into contact with the Seraph's smaller black ones. Pulses of emotions passed between them- confusion, affection, and forgiveness._

 

_ “Cassie…” Gabriel choked on what he wanted to say. Years of suppressing his real emotions just wouldn't let him voice them now. Castiel smiled in understanding. _

 

_ “You may pursue him. I give my blessing.” Gabriel gave him a crooked grin.  _

 

_ “Thanks, featherhead.” He vanished. _

 

Gabriel rested his forehead against the cold cinder block that made up the walls of his room. He was not nervous. He  _ wasn't.  _ Archangel’s didn't get nervous, especially over stupid, stubborn humans. He shook himself firmly. 

 

“Get it together.” Gabriel muttered, thumping his head off the concrete before retrieving his boots. He gave himself one last glance in the mirror, frowning at what he saw. He ran his hands through his unruly mop of blond hair and tried to suck in his gut a little. 

 

Castiel's disembodied chuckle startled him.  _ “You look fine.” _ Gabriel jumped in surprise, cursing under his breath about omnipotent baby brothers taking advantage of his powered down state. Unseen feathers tickled the back of his neck before pushing him towards the door. 

 

“Fine, I'm going! I'm going! Bossy little fledgling!” Castiel's snickering followed him down the hallway.

 

Gabriel hesitated outside Dean's door, fist raised to knock. The Archangel was frozen, completely unable to move. The butterflies in his stomach were doing some sort of tango and it was making him feel like he was going to barf all over his shoes. Fantastic. Gabriel nearly jumped out of said shoes when the door knocked on itself, followed by Castiel's voice in in his ear.  _ “Get your act together, brother!” _ The Trickster me a mental note to hex the other angel’s wings flamingo pink. 

 

Dean opened the door. The human looked a bit flustered for a moment, but covered it with an easy grin.

 

“Hey, man! Let's go already!” Dean brushed past him and practically sprinted for the garage. Castiel's presence in Gabriel's mind gleefully pointed out the red flush creeping up the back of Dean’s neck. 

 

_ “Are you gonna tag along all night?” _ Gabriel thought as loudly as he could. The younger angel somehow managed to convey flicking the tips of his wings in a decidedly rude gesture. Gabriel bit his lip to keep from bursting out laughing. 

 

_ “I see Balthazar was a bad influence on you after I left. Remind me to thank him. Now, buzz off!”  _ Castiel chuckled again and suddenly Gabriel was alone in his mind again.

 

“Come  _ on _ already! You owe me drinks and I'm gonna cash in on that unlimited credit card I know you've got stashed in your wallet!” Dean's voice echoed down the hallway at him.

 

To his utter shock, Dean let Gabriel drive to the bar. Not the Impala, of course, but the candy apple red 1969 Z28 Chevy Camaro that the Archangel had rebuilt from the ground up. Roxanne was absolutely glorious, gleaming in the fading sunlight. Dean stroked her black racing stripes reverently as he slid into the shotgun seat.

 

“Gabe, I've gotta hand it to ya. You really did her justice.” Gabriel hummed, pleased. He had spent weeks rebuilding Roxy, and the love he lavished on her showed. Not a single drop of Grace had been used, he had done it all by hand. The Archangel quietly cherished the memories of Dean coaching his efforts. The human's quiet presence while they had worked on their babies together had been the first time the Archangel had truly felt at home in the bunker. Not that he would ever admit to it. He'd rather smite himself. 

 

“I still say you should have let me put in shag carpeting.” Gabriel teased, laughing at Dean's disgusted expression.

 

“Dude, she's sexy American muscle, not a Volkswagen van you're decking out to screw hippy chicks in! She needs to be treated like a lady.” 

 

Gabriel laughed. “Like you'd know how to treat a real lady. I've seen the sort of broads you're into!” 

 

“You’re one to talk! You don't even have to treat them right, you just snap them up and film bad ‘woe is me, I'm dead’ porn!” Dean had the window rolled down and was trailing his fingers through the air currents as Gabriel sped down the road.

 

“You keep telling yourself that, Dean-o. Pornography is an art form. And how would you know my will was a  _ bad _ porno? Did you watch it?” The Archangel wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Dean sputtered. His whole face flushed tomato red. Gabriel's heart jumped up into his throat and started doing a tapdance- the human HAD watched it! And judging by the way that Dean was very studiously watching the trees whip past, he had probably watched it more than once.

 

Dean reached over and cranked the stereo up. He immediately grinned and began humming along to the Metallica song that came on. Gabriel drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel in time, and the rest of the drive passed in reasonably comfortable silence.

 

********

 

The bar itself was nothing too special, just your average hole in the wall with a beat up juke box and a couple of pool tables that were in serious need of new felt. It smelled like cigarettes and cheap beer, and the dim lights gave the air a smokey quality. Dean murmured something about it reminding him of the Roadhouse, his voice melancholy, and the Trickster resolved to ask him about it later.

 

Gabriel hopped up on a barstool near the far end and plunked his credit card down. He gave the busty bartender a winning grin and she winked at him, waving to indicate that she’d be right over. Dean settled down beside him. Soon, the bartender finished up serving several other patrons and made her way over to them.

 

“What'll it be, boys?” She gave Dean a blatant once-over, and Gabriel had to ruthlessly squash the wave of possessiveness that surged up. 

 

“A shot of Jack and a beer each, to start us off.” Dean winked at her, but turned his attention to the Archangel the instant she moved away. He held his hand out expectantly, earning a puzzled frown.

 

“You said you'd drink like a human, remember? Fork it over.” Dean wiggled his fingers.

 

“Oh!” Gabriel retrieved the vial of his Grace and handed it to the hunter. To be honest, not every single drop was in it. There was just enough still stashed away that he could summon and break that vial if shit went sideways. But Dean didn't need to know that. Dean palmed it just as the bartender returned with their drinks. Dean smiled a little crookedly and raised his shot. Gabriel clicked his against Dean's with a chuckle.

 

“To humanity.” 

 

Gabriel lost track of how many drinks they had after the first couple. The human matched him easily and was far too amused by the drunk angel’s shenanigans.  

 

“.....And then Balthazar put itching powder in Inais’ wings!” Gabriel chuckle-snorted into his beer as he tried to finish telling the story. Dean threw his head back and laughed, deep and full. The Trickster stared, entranced. Neither of the Winchesters ever seemed to unwind and enjoy life these days- there was always some crisis to avert. Even when they were on downtime, they both seemed on edge, as if braced for calamity. This version of Dean, pleasantly drunk and quick to laugh, took ten years off the hunter's face. Gabriel immediately vowed to make him laugh like that every chance he got.

 

Dean wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and polished off his most recent beer. There was a large pile of empty bottles in front of them. He tried to count them with unfocused, half crossed eyes.

 

“One...two….lots…” Gabriel giggled, outright  _ giggled _ , at the human's loss of higher brain function.

 

Dean pouted. “ ‘S not funny. Sammy’s the smart one. Imma dumb grunt.” 

 

“Dean! That's not true and you know it. You're damned smart!” Dean glanced down and Gabriel started- when had he grabbed Dean's wrist? The pair stared at each other for several long moments while Dean's ears turned pink. A pointed cough startled them both.

 

The bartender was scowling at them, arms crossed. “I think it's time you left.” She dropped Gabriel's card in front of them and stomped off. The very drunk hunter glared after her.

 

“Wass'her problem?” Dean slurred.

 

“Don't worry about her, let's get you home.” Gabriel stood up, giggling when he wobbled violently. Dean lunged to catch him, staggering on unsteady legs. They both burst out laughing. Together, they supported each other towards the door.

 

“Gimme your keys, you're waaaay too drunk.” Dean made a grab for Gabriel's jacket pocket.

 

“Oh, and you're any better? Not happening! Cassie! We need a lift!” Gabriel called. Dean laughed and shushed him.

 

Castiel appeared, startling Dean so badly that he tripped over the curb and landed on his ass. 

 

“Gonna hang a damned bell on you, Cas.” The Winchester grumbled, rubbing his headquarters. Castiel chuckled indulgently.

 

“I take it your night went well?” The Seraph reached for Dean and hauled him to his feet.

 

“Sure, we had lossa fun!” Dean slurred, grinning widely. 

 

“As if you didn't spy on the whole thing.” Gabriel muttered. Castiel flashed him an innocent expression, which absolutely didn't fool the Archangel.

 

“Come along.” Castiel gripped them both by the shoulders and flashed them back to the bunker. Quite conveniently, the Seraph was nowhere to be seen when the drunken pair landed in front of Dean’s room, and Gabriel had no choice but to try to steady Dean's less than stellar landing.

 

Dean swayed into him. “Had a lotta fun. Thanks, Gabe.” Dean was slurring so badly that Gabriel had to mentally translate his words. The blond grinned. 

 

“Likewise, Dean.” Dean smiled at him, his eyes tracking down to Gabriel's lips. The human wobbled a bit as he leaned down and Gabriel's heart stuttered just before 175lbs of drunk, passed out Winchester landed on him.

 

“Dean?” Gabriel poked the man. A snore was his only response.

 

Dad Dammit!!


	4. Chapter four

Dean obviously remembered his drunken aborted attempt to kiss Gabriel, because the human hadn't come out from under the Impala all morning. He hadn't even eaten breakfast- not unless you counted a cup of coffee and several Advil. The elder Winchester was firmly in hiding, tail between his legs. It would have been adorable if it wasn't so damned  _ frustrating. _

 

Around the noon marker, Gabriel decided that he had had enough. He stomped to the garage, a six pack of Dean's favorite beer in hand. He perched on Baby’s hood and waited. Dean didn't acknowledge him.

 

“You have to come out from under there eventually. You know that, right?” A loud thud and some very inventive swearing announced that Dean hadn't heard him come in.

 

“Nope.” Gabriel flash-chilled a beer and dangled it over the side of the car. A grimy hand poked out, groping for the bottle, but Gabriel held it out of reach.

 

“Gimme and I'll come out.” There was poorly veiled amusement in the Winchester’s voice.

 

“Come out and I'll give it to you.” Gabriel singsonged. Dean swore again and blindly took a swipe at the angel’s dangling foot. Gabriel scootched farther away, forcing Dean to roll partway out from under the car to take another swing. With a triumphant bark of laughter, Gabriel grabbed the edge of the rolling mechanic's creeper and yanked him all the way out. Dean threw a dirty rag at his head.

 

Gabriel held the beer out. “Peace offering?” Dean took it, chuckling.

 

“I didn't know we were fighting.”

 

“Aren't we always?” Gabriel cracked his own bottle open and took a swig. Dean watched the way his throat worked out of the corner of his eye. Finally, the silence became too much for the hunter to handle. He sighed, obviously bracing himself for a chick-flick moment.

 

“What do you want, Gabriel?” 

 

“World domination and a lifetime supply of Twizzlers.” Dean snorted. “Oh, you didn't mean in general. Spell it out, Dean-o.” 

 

Dean picked at the label on his now empty bottle. Gabriel wordlessly passed him a fresh one, waiting with unusual patience for the other man to gather his thoughts. Or ask the Wizard for some courage. Whichever.

 

“This. Whatever….this….is that's hanging between us.” Dean waved a hand vaguely between them. “I can't figure it out and it's getting annoying. So, what do you want from me?” 

 

Gabriel's eyebrows knitted at the choice of phrasing. “I don't want anything  _ from  _ you, Dean. I'd like something  _ with _ you, though.” He frowned even deeper at the self-depreciating laugh Dean answered him with. 

 

“Why? What could I possibly offer you? And why now, right after Cas managed to break me into a million little fragments? Are you going to swoop in and save the day, patch me all back together again? This isn't some fairytale.”

 

The Archangel watched Dean sadly. “I know it isn't. I'm no knight in shining armor, I'm a coward in tinfoil. I can't wave a magic wand and make it all ok again. But as for Cassie, he actually pushed me to finally nut up and make a move on you. Look, I know how shitty our past is. I'll never forgive myself for what I put you and Sam through. And I don't expect you to forget about it. I'm just asking for a chance. If you don't want to give me that, I deserve it. I'll never mention it again. But I've been drawn to you since you idiots first came hunting me.” 

 

Dean's mouth hung open. He gaped like a landed fish for a few long moments. 

“For an all-powerful Archangel, you can be a real idiot sometimes, you know that?” Pain lanced through Gabriel’s chest and he braced himself for rejection.

 

Dean set his beer down and stretched, rolling his shoulders and pressing against his lower back to pop it. He turned to face the rapidly deflating ArchHerald. Gabriel was staring down at his shoes.  _ ‘I wonder what the odds of Dad suddenly deciding to smite me are’  _ he thought miserably. He was so lost in his internal trip to Woe Is Me town that he completely missed Dean’s slow approach. Gabriel nearly screamed in shock when the hunter stepped between the angel’s knees and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders.

 

“ _ Tch. _ Idiot Trickster.” Dean leaned in until his chapped lips brushed Gabriel’s. The blond made a high, needy noise somewhere between a whine and a relieved whimper and closed the hairsbreadth gap. Dean’s lips were warm and dry against his, his arms strong and sure around him, and the hunter’s scruff tickled. It was the best thing Gabriel had felt in eons. Dean smiled against his lips as he slowly mapped out the contours of Gabriel’s mouth.

 

Gabriel didn’t want the moment to end, but there was that pesky human need to breathe for Dean to attend to. The human pressed their foreheads together.

 

“So, you were saying something about wanting a chance?” Gabriel chuckled weakly.

 

“Something like that. You were saying something about letting me have it?” 

 

“Somethin’ like that.” Dean laughed and kissed the angel again. And again. And kept kissing him, pressing him back to lay against the Impala’s hood. Gabriel groaned low in his chest and ran his fingers through Dean’s short-cropped hair. 

 

“Fucking Christ, Gabe…” Dean ground out. He sank his teeth into the Trickster’s lower lip. Gabriel groaned in response, arching against the man above him. Deft, calloused hands found their way under Gabriel’s t-shirt and zeroed in on the angel’s nipples. The hunter tweaked and caressed them, reveling in the soft whines and pleas that it drew from Gabriel’s plush lips. 

 

Gabriel rolled his hips up to meet Dean’s. He hissed through his teeth in as the hunter’s cock ground against his. The multiple layers of denim were beyond frustrating, and the Archangel turned pagan God had never been known for his patience. 

 

“I’ll take my time undressing you next time.” He snapped his fingers, vanishing every scrap of cloth between them.

 

“ _ Fuck _ , yes!” Dean snarled. He gripped Gabriel’s hips and thrust his newly bare cock into the groove between Gabriel's erection and thigh. Both men moaned at the contact. Long moments passed as they desperately frotted against each other. Gabriel sank his teeth into Dean's pec, then laved at the dark bruise that immediately formed. Dean tangled his hand into blond hair and yanked hard in response. Their mouths crashed together again.

 

“Dean!” The Archangel’s voice was an inhuman snarl that sent a hot, violent shiver down Dean’s spine.

 

The human worked a hand between them and gripped both of their cock, jacking them together. His dry grip was harsh and just this side of painful, and Gabriel bucked desperately into it. His fingers tangled into Dean's.

 

“Fuck… shitfuck, Gabe!” Dean's voice climbed higher and higher until it cracked on the angel’s name, breaking off into a gutpunched groan as he erupted all over their hands. Gabriel bit his lip hard enough to draw blood in a desperate bid to keep from following Dean instantly. Both hands forced their way into Dean's sweat matted hair and pushed, forcing the hunter to his knees on the cold concrete.

 

“Suck me.” He ordered, though his voice shook.

 

“Fuck you.” Was Dean’s equally wobbly reply, though he leaned in anyways. He expertly tongued the angel’s angry red shaft, suckling the crown firmly before bobbing his head in a punishing rhythm. One gun-hardened hand found Gabriel's sac, the other toyed with his puckered hole. One last swipe of the hunter's tongue under his foreskin and finger barely breaching his hole and Gabriel was gone, screaming in Enochian and pouring so much cum into Dean's throat that the man choked on it.

 

Gabriel's knees gave out and he hit the floor in front of Dean. The exhausted pair leaned against Baby’s bumper and tried to catch their breath.

 

“You… you're gonna pay for that stunt, Gabe.” Dean's voice lacked the strength to actually be angry.

 

Gabriel snickered. “I look forward to it.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to my bestie Mira for putting up with me bouncing pornography ideas off her at 2am XD

Sam seemed to be spending most of his nights away from the bunker now, and Dean couldn’t help but be grateful for it. Not because he wanted his brother to go away, of course. It was just that whatever this was between him and Gabriel was so brand new, so fragile, that he didn’t really want to let Sam know about it yet. It felt like their relationship was this delicate newborn creature, and it could be snuffed out so easily if it wasn’t treated carefully or if he asked for too much.

 

So, Dean tread lightly. They didn’t hold hands or cuddle on the couch. There weren’t sweet nothings passed between them in the dark. They weren’t sharing a bed. Instead, there were a million little things that anyone else might have overlooked- Dean memorized how Gabriel took his coffee and always had a cup waiting for him in the morning. Gabriel installed some sort of mojo-powered sound system in the garage and showed Dean that he could change the song with a mere thought. The acoustics were impeccable. When they hung out in the den and played video games, their knees brushed. Anyone on the outside might have taken all of it for casual things between friends.

 

Gabriel, however, was growing impatient with the whole ‘secret lovers’ thing. He was interested in so much more! About three days after their first shared orgasms in the garage, he decided to make a move. 

 

“So, there’s this huge classic car show out in Miami this weekend. I thought we might take Baby and Roxanne out, show them off a bit.” Gabriel was laying on his back under Roxy, working on changing the oil. His position gave him a lovely vantage point from which to ogle Dean’s ass. The hunter was up to his elbows in the Impala’s engine, searching for the source of a knock he swore he heard. Dean hummed, clearly thinking it over.

 

“We would have to leave in the morning to make it out there in time. I don’t like flying Angel Airways.” Dean’s voice gave away nothing.

 

“I could snap Roxy out and we could drive.” Gabriel offered. 

 

“As if you could sit still for two days of traveling the slow way.” Dean’s snort was cut off by some choice swearing as he smashed his knuckles. Gabriel screwed the oil drain plug back into place and rolled out from under his car to examine the damage. Dean was bleeding but the underlying bone wasn’t damaged. With a playful smile, Gabriel kissed the injury. The skin knitted together as if it had never been broken.

 

“Kissing my booboos isn’t going to butter me up.” Dean’s lips twitched upwards despite himself. 

 

“What if I promise some  _ stellar _ road head?” The angel’s eyebrows wiggled in a very familiar gesture and Dean hissed when all of his blood relocated to his groin. 

 

“I’m going to cash in on that promise.” Dean growled.

 

The next morning found Dean bidding goodbye to the resident Seraph and his hungover little brother in the kitchen. Sam had some very suspicious bruises that weren’t quite being covered by his collar. Dean pulled Castiel aside.

 

“Look after him, ok? I’m not sure I like how often he’s been coming home smashed.” The elder Winchester murmured, eyeing Sam. Castiel nodded. Gabriel hugged his little brother tightly.

 

“Good luck.” Castiel’s voice was pitched far too low for the humans to catch, and the underlying emotions he passed along to Gabriel were the exact opposite of the innocent facade his face bore. Gabriel swatted him.

 

“For a sex-repulsed asexual, you sure can be a pervert.” Gabriel shot back, getting a bark of laughter. Castiel shooed them out the door and went to relieve Sam of his headache.

 

As promised, Gabriel clicked his fingers and Roxanne vanished. He quietly stashed her in the parking garage of the hotel he had picked. It wasn’t a five-star, but it was certainly a world better than the roach infested dives that the Winchesters favored. The archangel tossed his bag into the trunk with Dean’s before sliding into the shotgun seat. Dean fired his Baby up and guided her out of the garage and onto the hidden roadway.

 

“So, what are we going to do about all the weaponry? Because I’m sure as shit not leaving it behind in a hotel room.” Dean got them out onto the main road and put his foot down. The car roared to life and they took off down the highway. 

 

“I’ll mask all of it with mojo when we get there. Nobody will see it, I promise.” Dean nodded- when Gabriel hid things, they stayed hidden. The ArchHerald leaned over and spun the volume dial, cranking the music up. Dean laughed and rolled the windows down as Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild blasted through the speakers. Gabriel sang along at the top of his lungs, and Dean was surprised to find that the angel actually had a good voice.

 

Gabriel snorted, having caught the tail end of that thought. “I’m kind of Dad’s herald. Being able to sing sorta goes along with that.” Dean laughed and joined in.

 

The miles sped by, and the longer he drove, the more of Dean’s cares seemed to fall away. By the time they stopped for gas, Dean looked years younger. His eyes crinkled as he shot Gabriel a broad, toothy grin. It took Gabriel’s breath away to see just how beautiful the man could be. He watched Dean fuel the car and check her oil with an affectionate smile before turning to get them some snacks. 

 

Halfway through Missouri, Dean turned the radio down a bit. It was still playing some AC/DC, but it was a lot less conversation stifling. The human stretched a bit and Gabriel not-so-subtly tracked the motion of his hips out of the corner of his eye.

 

“So, I was promised some road head?” Dean’s voice was a low purr and his candy-apple green eyes were lust-darkened as he glanced over at the angel beside him.

 

Gabriel hummed thoughtfully. “Hmm, yes I do seem to remember something like that.” He scooched over and tiptoed his fingers up Dean’s thigh. The well-worn denim was doing absolutely nothing to hide the thickening outline of the man’s cock. Gabriel smirked and leaned down to press a soft kiss to the bulge. Dean hissed. Deft fingers undid the multiple buttons of Dean’s fly and nudged the fabric aside until Gabriel could carefully draw the man’s erection out. He took a moment to just look, appreciating what he hadn’t gotten to really see their first time together. An impatient noise from above him got a chuckle in response. 

 

“Come on, Gabe…” Dean breathed, eyes fixed firmly on the road in front of them. Gabriel flicked his tongue out to gather the bead of saline that was already gathering at the crown of Dean’s cock. Dean made a soft noise and tangled his free hand into Gabriel’s blond locks, gently guiding him down. Heat flared through the Archangel and he obligingly took Dean’s cockhead into his mouth. He sucked gently and swirled his tongue all around, trying to get a feel for how Dean liked it. The thick shaft was heavy and felt perfect on his tongue. He quickly discovered the over-sensitive spot under the swollen crown and tongued it firmly. He nearly choked when Dean swore and bucked his hips hard. Dean stared down at the golden head bobbing in his lap, utterly transfixed. Baby’s wheels hit the rumble strip and he jerked her back over into the lane.

 

“Eyes on the road, Dean-o.” Gabriel growled around Dean’s cock. Dean nodded, stroking the back of Gabriel’s head in apology. Gabriel went back to work. He threw everything he had into making it the most mindblowing blowjob the man had ever gotten. He flicked his tongue into the slit, sucked hard when he had the crown in his mouth, and deepthroated all eight inches as if it was nothing. 

 

Up until that point, Dean had been mostly silent. There were grunts and the occasional curse, but that was really about it. The instant the head hit the back of Gabriel’s throat, that all changed. “That’s it, baby. Oh, fuck… you feel so damned good.  _ Christ, _ you’re good at that.” Dean went off on a tirade of praise, his voice increasingly hoarse and threatening to break. His cock throbbed hard against Gabriel’s tongue. Gabriel hummed in response and pressed his nose into the nest of sandy hair dusting Dean’s groin. Once he had it all the way down his throat, he swallowed.

 

Dean went wild above him, arching and squirming as much as his seat allowed. His grip on Gabriel’s hair turned painfully tight and he forcibly held him there as he hovered on the edge of orgasm. He was fighting it, Gabriel could tell, and he could only assume that it was because he was afraid of crashing the car into a cornfield. Gabriel clicked his fingers and the car straightened out, piloting herself. He eased off Dean’s cock until just the head rested between his lips.

 

“Come, Dean.” Gabriel ordered before slamming all the way back down his shaft. Dean cried out and obeyed, filling the angel’s mouth with his seed. His heels scrabbled for purchase against the floorboards and his fingers clenched reflexively in Gabriel’s hair as he rode out the aftershocks. 

 

Gabriel sat up, smug smirk firmly in place, and licked the remains of Dean’s release from the corner of his mouth. Dean guided the car to the edge of the road with shaking hands and threw her into park before launching himself at the Trickster. Their lips met in a crash of teeth and tongue, the hunter doing his damnedest to lick every trace of his own essence from Gabriel’s mouth. 

 

_ “Fuck, _ Gabe!” Dean swore as he tore at the angel’s pants. Gabriel was quick to catch on and wrenched his jeans open, shoving them down his hips for better access. He was painfully, agonizingly hard and when Dean’s calloused fingers closed around his shaft, it was over embarrassingly quickly. The Winchester made sure that Gabriel was watching him before licking the milky white fluid from his own fingers. Gabe’s cock gave another hard twitch in response. Both men sorted out their rumpled clothes and took a few moments to get themselves back under control. Dean checked his watch and grinned. If they pushed, they could be on the far side of Tennessee before nightfall. He decided that he would check them into the first hotel he found. And after that… well, he had plans for his personal Archangel.

 

As it turned out, Gabriel put his foot down and vetoed the first hotel. To call it a thinly disguised crack house would probably be too kind. They pushed on for another twenty minutes until they came to a reasonably respectable low-level chain hotel. Dean scored them a room at a discount with a flirty grin and a wink to the blushing teenager working the desk and practically sprinted back to the car to collect Gabriel and their stuff. The last hour of the drive had been one long cocktease and Dean was pretty sure that his dick was going to fall off if he didn't get some relief  _ soon _ .

 

Gabriel flopped face first onto one of the mid-sized beds with a pornographic moan, and didn't that give the Winchester all sorts of ideas. He chucked his duffle bag onto the other bed and made for the shower. Just as he finished stripping his clothes off, Gabe poked his head in. Dean absolutely did  _ not _ shriek in surprise. Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“You...you want some company?” Dear Lord, the archangel was actually nervous! Dean smiled and pulled him into the bathroom by his shirt.

 

“Come on.” Dean cranked the water up as high as he could stand it and began thumbing the buttons of Gabriel's dark green shirt open. The angel scrambled to help and was just as naked as the hunter in short order. Dean checked the temperature and hopped in. 

 

Upon seeing the size of the shower stall, Gabriel made a displeased noise and snapped his fingers, doubling the space and adding two more showerheads. Dean chuckled and snagged the shampoo.

 

“Hedonist.” The word was affectionate, and Gabriel found himself smiling. 

 

“No, realistic. Two grown men do  _ not  _ fit in a Best Western Inn shower.” 

 

Dean snorted. “More like one and a half, short stack.” He rinced his hair and started lathering up a rag.

 

“I might be pocket sized but I've got it where it counts!” Gabriel sputtered indignantly. Dean gave him an appreciative once-over.

 

“I'll give you that one.” The angel could feel the other man's gaze like a brand raking down his chest and settling on his groin. Gabriel's cheeks flushed. To cover his embarrassment, he snatched the soapy cloth out of Dean's hand and spun him around with a firm hand. Dean made a questioning noise before the rag descended on his back and the noise became approving.

 

Dean rested one forearm on the wall and let Gabriel work. The combination of the hot water thundering down on his head and the not-quite-but-almost massage of his back lulled him into a trancelike state. His cock began to plump up Behind him, Gabriel took note of Dean Jr.’s interest. He swiped the rag over Dean's hip, around the front to swirl around the hardening flesh, and then down between Dean's thighs. The hunter jerked in surprise.

 

Gabriel was panting harshly against Dean's spine, ridiculously aroused just by being able to touch Dean like this. “Dean…” he breathed. “Fuck, Dean. Can I…” he trailed off and let his fingers ghost along Dean’s crack. Dean made a confused noise and Gabriel realized that he was going to have to spell it out. 

 

“Can I touch you like this? Work you open with my fingers? With my tongue? Can I eat you out until you're gagging for it?” Dean gave a low groan and shivered violently, but Gabriel caught the wave of anxiety and hesitation that rolled off the human. He wrapped his arms around Dean’s hips and pressed them together from chest to hips.

 

“Dean, have you done this before?” The anxiety redoubled. Dean's skin was already flushed pink from the scalding water, but Gabriel was willing to bet that he would have resembled a tomato even if they weren't in the shower.

 

The human shook his head. “Never gone past blowjobs.” He seemed almost humiliated by the admission. Gabriel went traipsing through Dean’s thoughts and memories on the subject. 

 

“Let me guess. You're a big bad manly man, and men don't get fucked? They do the fucking. Am I close to the mark?” Dean audibly ground his teeth. “Well let me clue you in on something, Winchester. Taking a cock or a tongue up your ass doesn't make you less of a man. But if you're not ready for penetration, I understand. I still want to eat you out until you scream, but I'll settle for just getting to lick and touch. That ok with you?” Gabriel's voice was muffled against Dean's shoulder blades. 

 

“Nothing inside?”

 

Gabriel nodded firmly. “Absolutely. I can blow your mind just like that. All you have to do is say yes, Dean-o.” Dean huffed a snicker.

 

“What  _ is _ it with you guys and that word?”

 

“Well, if Mike and Luci need express verbal consent to do anything to your body, so do I.” Gabriel was trailing his fingers up and down Dean’s abs, leaving faint red streaks as his nails scraped the skin. Dean groaned and bucked back against him, slotting Gabriel's cock between his thighs in the process. They both moaned.

 

“Yes…” Dean hissed. He started to spread is legs, but Gabriel stopped him with a hand on his hip.

 

“Not here. Come on.” The archangel killed the water and snapped them to one of the beds. Gabriel guided the taller man over to lay on his back and straddled him. They spent what felt like forever trading kisses and grinding against each other before the angel broke away and started blazing a trail down Dean’s body with his lips. Long heartbeats were spent laving at the human’s chest and kissing every freckle Gabriel could reach before continuing south. He gave Dean's cock, hard and heavy between his legs, a lick and kept going. 

 

At first, the Trickster restrained himself to kisses and nips along the tender insides of Dean's thighs. He teased and nibbled, toying with the hunter’s sac, drawing the most delicious moans and whines from his partner. Slowly, he moved farther down until he could run the tip of his tongue over Dean's perennium. Dean groaned like he had been gutpunched, his back arching into a deep bow.

 

“Jesus fuck, Gabe…” He gritted out. Gabriel chuckled. The puff of air against Dean's sensitive flesh drew another high pitched whine from the hunter's throat. 

 

“You ain't seen nothin’ yet, Dean-o.” The Archangel carefully drew Dean's thighs up to rest over his shoulders, giving him perfect access to his ultimate goal. Dean squirmed in embarrassment from being exposed like this. Tender kisses to the inside of his thigh went a long way towards reassuring him.

 

The first flick of his tongue over Dean's tightly furled hole hit the hunter like a bolt of lightning. Dean yelled in surprise and thrashed on the bed, driving his fingers into Gabriel's mussed hair and pulling hard. The Trickster paused, letting him absorb the sensation. 

 

Finally, Dean cleared his throat. When he found his voice it sounded like he had gargled glass. “Oh,  _ fuck…” _ Gabriel chuckled and did it again. He lapped over and over the ring of muscle, swirled his tongue around it, came up to lap at his balls before diving back down. Through it all, Dean gripped his hair tightly and tugged, guiding his movements. Gabriel made one particularly amazing swipe and Dean howled. He shoved the all-powerful being deeper between his legs as his whole body arched off the bed save for his shoulders and heels. 

 

“Do that again!” Dean panted out between gasps for breath. Gabriel obeyed and the resulting scream was music to his ears. 

 

“Sonovabitch! Fuck, G’briel! So close!” Gabriel hummed happily and redoubled his efforts, bringing his deft fingers down to join the party. He gently tugged at Dean's sac, caressed and petted the tender flesh below, and bent every ounce of his focus on bringing Dean to the strongest orgasm the human had been given in years. Dean came screaming, ropes of bitter fluid arcing from his untouched cock to land as high as his sternum. 

 

With a smug grin, Gabriel wiped his mouth and crawled up Dean's shaking body, licking the man clean as he went. Dean opened one unfocused eye just in time to see Gabriel open his mouth to display the white streaked over his tongue. The Winchester huffed an exhausted laugh and threw his arm over his eyes. 

 

“Holy fuck.” He mumbled. 

 

“Not quite. But we're getting there!” Gabriel dodged a flailing hand.


	6. Chapter six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance! I'll be hiding in my bunker until I'm sure it's safe to come out.

Finishing the trip from Tennessee to Florida was the kind of fun that road trip movies were made of. Dean was quickly realizing just how alike he and Gabriel were. Rather than being alarmed by that thought, the hunter found himself amused and even comforted by it. Gabriel shared his taste in music and love of shitty diner food. He didn't bitch when he cranked up Metallica or Led Zepplin and sang horribly off key. He happily snapped snacks and drinks into existence, and even Sam wasn't  _ this  _ good of a navigator.

 

They reached Miami just before sundown and checked into the hotel that Gabriel had picked out. Dean had started to protest the expense, but Gabriel silenced him with a wave of a magically invented credit card. When he saw the mini bar in the room and the two king sized beds, Dean quit bitching about it entirely. With his Baby parked right beside Roxy in the parking garage and a steady supply of cold beer, Dean was perfectly content to sprawl out on one of the beds and put on the first Die Hard movie. He didn't even comment when Gabriel joined him on the bed and propped his head against the human’s shoulder. 

 

Some combination of the alcohol and his general feeling of wellbeing was making the Winchester feel unusually sappy, because half an hour later his fingers were twined with Gabriel's and he unconsciously pressed a kiss to the Archangel’s temple. Gabriel damned near purred his approval. Encouraged, Dean tilted Gabriel's chin up and kissed him softly. He sighed into it, enjoying the tentative, near innocent kisses almost as much as he had liked their previous fiery clashes of tongue and teeth.

 

Dean rolled slightly so he could stroke his hand up and down Gabriel's side. The angel arched against him and Dean smiled against his lips. This was nice, he realized. The human was a little surprised that Gabriel was capable of being slow and gentle, and even more surprised that he himself liked it. Tentative and exploratory seemed like it might have been Castiel’s thing rather than the firebrand Archangel. Dean's heart suddenly clenched when Castiel flickered across his mind. Fuck, why did the idiot have to be asexual?

 

Gabriel jerked back as if Dean had slapped him. “What the fuck, Dean?!” 

 

“Huh?” Dean stared at him, completely lost.

 

“You're halfway to screwing me and thinking about my little brother. That's fucked up! I'm not your Dad-damned rebound!” Dean saw red.

 

“Get the fuck out of my head!”

 

“You shouldn't even be feeling hurt about that shit any more anyways!” Gabriel spat. A heartbeat later he realized what he had said and all the blood drained from his face. Dean sat up and stared at him, murder in his eyes. 

 

“What the hell did you do to me?” Ice and rage dripped from every syllable and the Archangel crumpled.

 

“I… I put a damper on how bad being rejected by Cassie hurt you.”

 

“ _ What?!? _ You fucked with my head?!” Dean screamed. 

 

Gabriel flinched. “I'm sorry…” But Dean wasn't done.

 

"You KNOW what Michael and Lucifer did to us and you still went screwing around in my brain! How can I trust what I think I feel about you? Did you screw with that, too? Huh? Put these thoughts in my head?! Make me THINK I want this with you?!" Gabriel's face fell. Disgust and horror warred for dominance on his face. 

 

"Do you realize what you're saying? You're accusing me of RAPING you!" The Archangel sounded like he was fighting the urge to vomit. Outside, storm clouds began forming, though neither man noticed.

 

"Well what else am I supposed to think?! You tampered with my mind! Why else would you fuck around with my emotions?" 

 

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU JACKASS!" Dead silence filled the room for long moments. Sheets of rain began pouring down on Miami.

 

"How the hell can you say that to me? After everything your dickbag brothers have done to me, to Sammy, and you pull shit like this?" Dean spat.

 

"I did it because I couldn't stand seeing you in that much pain. You were hurting so badly and I just wanted to help. I didn't tamper with your feelings about me. I DIDN'T. You have to believe me." The wind picked up to near gale-force, lashing the rain against the balcony windows.

 

Dean scrubbed his palms over his face. "Why should I?” Gabriel started to reach for the human and Dean recoiled. Tears pricked at the angel’s eyes and the temperature dropped violently.

 

"I gave you my Grace. Do you honestly think I would just hand it over to anybody but someone I love?"

 

Dean froze, obviously rolling the thought over in his mind. "I can't trust you right now. I just can't." The hunter stood up and retrieved his boots from the foot of the bed.

 

Gabriel was now outright crying, tears silently trickling down his cheeks. "Dean, I'm so sorry. I fucked up. I know it. And i have no right to beg for your forgiveness. But please, don't walk out on me. What can I do to make it right?"

 

Dean froze. "You love me?"

 

"Yes." 

 

"Really love me?" 

 

"With everything I am." 

 

The Winchester sighed heavily. "Then take the block off. Let me deal with it. Let me process everything on my own. If-if I still feel... whatever this is... after, maybe we can try again."

 

Gabriel nodded. He stood up to join Dean by the door and slowly reached for him. Dean eyed him distrustfully but held very still. Two fingers gently tapped his temple and the block dissolved. The hunter sagged, his knees nearly giving out on him as the bottled emotions crashed into him like a tsunami. He drew in a shuddering breath and reached for the door knob.

 

“I'm going out. I'm not going to leave the area. I need a drink.” Gabriel nodded mutely and Dean stomped out, slamming the door behind him. Gabriel's knees hit the floor and he buried his face in his hands, sobs wracking his shoulders. For the first time in decades, snow fell on the city of Miami.

 

One of the best things about Miami was the sheer number of bars and clubs. Despite the insane weather, Dean didn’t have to go any farther than half a block before he found just the sort of dive bar that the Winchesters favored. He threw himself onto a bar stool and waved at the petite redhead behind the bar. She sauntered over.

 

“Two shots of Jack and a beer, whatever you’ve got on tap.” Dean turned his best approximation of his usual easy grin on her.

 

“Sure thing, sweetie.” There was something entirely too close to pity in her eyes as she snagged the black labeled bottle and poured the shots. By the time she returned with the pint glass, Dean had already knocked back the whiskey. 

 

“Keep them coming, ok?” Yup, that was definitely pity. Well, maybe he could get a pity fuck out of it. He winked at her, glancing down at the name tag hanging crookedly from her black v-neck. “Amalia. Pretty name.” 

 

Amalia watched him take several big swallows from his glass. “Listen, sweetie. I’ve been through enough heartbreak to know what it looks like. I’m not gonna be your rebound, no matter how hot you are. Drink as much as you want, I’ll make sure you get back to….. Wherever...safely. This weather is nuts and I don’t want people stumbling around shitfaced in it. If you want to talk, you know where I’ll be.” She dropped the bottle of Jack in front of him and patted his hand consolingly before trotting off to take care of the other patrons. 

 

Dean swore and threw back another shot, resigning himself to nursing his wounded heart alone. Amalia checked in on him as promised, refilling his beer and passing him a bowl of pretzels. On her third pass, she caught him muttering under his breath.

 

“Goddammit, Gabriel…” The hunter snarled softly. 

 

“Boyfriend trouble, huh?” 

 

Dean snorted, not even glancing up. He mentally braced himself to be thrown out of yet another bar. When the order to leave wasn’t forthcoming, he slowly peered up from his beer. Amalia snagged the bottle of whiskey and poured herself a glass.

 

“When I was seventeen, I fell in love with a beautiful blond. Sweet, funny, caring… brilliant surfer. Eyes so blue, you could lose yourself in them for hours. We spent the whole summer together.” Dean made a noncommittal noise, unsure of where this was going. Amalia held a finger up in a ‘be patient’ gesture. “But then, I came home from work one night and found her tongue deep in my best friend. I was shattered. Swore I would never love again. So, I get it. I really, really do. What did he do? Sleep with your brother?”

 

Dean cleared his throat. “Nothing like that. He lied to me. I know he says he was trying to protect me, but I feel…”

 

“Hurt?” Dean nodded. Amalia sighed.

 

“So I have no idea what the situation was, but here’s my two cents. Take them, or leave them in the tip jar. Sometimes, people do stupid things when they’re concerned for their loved ones. People make mistakes. Some can be forgiven, some can’t. It’s up to  _ you _ to make that decision.” Dean winced- he had made many a stupid choice to protect Sam. Sam, and Cas. And Gabriel… Fuck. Mind made up, he set a handful of bills on the table.

 

“Keep the change. Thanks, Amalia.” The ginger grinned crookedly.

 

“Bartender, therapist… poh-tay-toh, pah-tah-toe. Go get ‘em, tiger.” 

 

********

“You came back.” Gabriel sounded equal parts miserable and stunned. Dean leaned against the doorframe, scowling at the rather bedraggled Archangel. Gabriel made up a pretty pathetic sight- his eyes were rimmed in red, his cheeks puffy and swollen. With his knees drawn up to his chest, he resembled a beaten puppy more than an all-powerful being. 

 

“So, here’s the deal. I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen. Got it?” Gabriel nodded glumly, and Dean dragged in a deep breath. “I’m hurting. You knew that, and tried to help. But you didn’t ask my permission. You just  _ did it  _ because you saw me in pain and couldn’t stand it _.  _ I get where you’re coming from. God knows I do. I’ve done some seriously stupid shit trying to protect Sammy from pain. If I condemned you for that, I’d be the world’s biggest hypocrite. But it doesn’t change that you fiddled with my brain to do it. You took away my ability to process my grief in my own time so you could step in and jump start what you wanted with me. That was all kinds of fucked up, dude.” 

 

Dean paused his rant and stared at the angel until Gabriel finally met his eyes. “So where do we go from here?” Gabriel’s voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper. 

 

“Right now? We stay here. We enjoy the weekend. We take a step back so I can process everything. I call Cas, talk to him, maybe get some closure. And then…. We’ll see. We dove in way too fast and I want to steer out of the skid before we crash and burn. But you have to swear- no more tampering.” 

 

The hope in Gabriel’s eyes was painful to look at. “I swear. But I guess I should tell you that I muted some of your nastier memories.” Dean’s expression turned hard again and Gabriel was quick to make a calming gesture. “Hell, Dean. I know you still have nightmares about it.” 

 

“Oh. Thanks. I...uh… guess that block can stay.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck, a sure sign that he felt uncomfortable. Gabriel snapped and the TV turned on, conveniently landing on the beginning of Dean’s favorite episode of Mythbusters. He pulled a six pack out of thin air and patted the bed beside him. 

 

“Come on. Beer, pizza, and explosions. No tricks, I promise.” 

 

Dean cracked a beer open and sat down against the headboard. Gabriel sprawled on his stomach facing the opposite direction and bit into a slice of pepperoni pizza that hadn’t existed thirty seconds before. The hunter grinned. Despite his renewed heartbreak and conflicted feelings about Gabriel’s well-intended meddling, tonight might not be a total loss after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, sorry!!! Between work, moving, and commissions, I've been utterly swamped. Throw in some bronchitis for extra seasoning and I'm TOAST.

Dean woke up to something tickling his nose. He grunted, still more asleep than awake, and swatted blindly at the source of his irritation. His hand made contact with a… feather?  _ What the fuck?  _ The cranky hunter cracked an eye open.

 

“Rise and shine, gorgeous!” Gabriel singsonged. Dean swore and pulled his pillow over his head. 

 

“Fuck off.” 

 

“Yeah, Cassie. He's still being grouchy. What should I do? Oh, you don't say… interesting!” The feather returned, this time targeting his armpit. Dean squawked and squirmed away, nearly falling off the bed in the process. He glared at the Archangel.

 

“That Cas? Lemme talk to him.” Dean held his hand out expectantly and was pleasantly surprised when Gabriel forked over the phone without complaint. “Hey, Cas.”

 

“Hello, Dean.” The hunter smiled at his friend's familiar gravelly voice. 

 

“How are things at home?” Dean held his breath.

 

“I have discovered what is ‘going on’ with Sam.” The air quotes were all but visible and Dean would have laughed if he wasn't so concerned. 

 

“Yeah, and…?” 

 

Castiel made a calming noise. “It would seem that Sam has been frequenting a local bondage club.”

 

Dean nearly dropped the phone in shock. “What the  _ fuck?”  _ But before he could really get deep into a rant, Cas cut him off.

 

“Dean. Sam is a grown man and capable of making his own choices in regards to his sexuality. Although I do not understand the appeal personally, I can assure you that he is in no danger.”

 

Dean scoffed. “How would you know?”

 

“Because I followed him in secret and observed. He may be indulging in some….alternative… pleasures, but he is not being harmed, nor harming his partner. She is seemingly very skilled at what she does.”

 

Dean cringed- he really didn’t want details about Sam's sex life, but the big brother instinct to keep Sammy safe was stronger than the revulsion. “Is he using protection?” He gritted out.

 

Castiel's voice was at once fond and annoyed. “I did not remain to observe him having sexual intercourse, Dean. However, I trust in his common sense and the fact that you have beaten correct prophylactic use into him since he turned twelve. Sam is  _ fine,  _ so stop worrying and enjoy your vacation.” 

 

There were a few moments of silence before Castiel started speaking again. “Dean… Gabriel told me what he did.” The hunter sucked air through his teeth. “No, don't speak. Just listen. For all that he went about it wrong, he really did want what he thought was best for you- for you to stop hurting. Please try not hold that against him, ok? For what it's worth, I… I’m sorry that I caused you such heartache and I want to see you happy. We will always be friends, right?” Now Cas sounded small, almost fragile, and Dean wanted more than anything to wrap him in a hug and make it all better. 

 

“Yeah, Cas. Always.” The hunter smiled softly.

 

“Good. I think Gabriel would be good for you, if you give him a chance.”

 

Dean scoffed, but his eyes remained soft. “We’ll see. That's all I can promise. See you when we get home, buddy.” 

 

“Goodbye, Dean.” The line went dead. Dean chuckled and passed the cellphone back to Gabriel, who seemed to be holding his breath. Or maybe he had just forgotten to pretend to need to breathe. Who knew with him.

 

“So…?” Gabriel prompted.

 

“So, Sammy’s into kinky shit, Castiel is his usual self, and my stomach is going to eat itself if I don't get some breakfast before we go to the car show.” Dean hid a smirk when Gabriel lit up.

 

“Sure thing, Dean-o! Want me to snap something up, or should we hit the breakfast buffet downstairs?” The Archerald bounced on his heels. Dean collected some clean clothes and ducked into the bathroom. 

 

“Buffet, duh! Do you even  _ know _ me?” He yelled over the running water. Gabriel snorted.

 

****************

 

The car show was bustling, filled with classic and tricked out vehicles of all descriptions. With Baby and Roxanne parked side-by-side in the ‘classic’ lot (and all weaponry safely disguised by Angel mojo), the unlikely pair were free to wander to their hearts content. Hours slid by as they slowly meandered through lot after lot, though Dean had very nearly jizzed his pants over a bright orange  1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1.

 

“Dude! There were only sixty-nine made EVER!” Dean gushed. Gabriel watched with an indulgent smile from several steps back. The hunter leaned in close to inspect the engine, motioning for the Archangel to come closer. When he wasn’t obeyed, Dean grabbed Gabriel’s hand and yanked him forward. The angel’s brain skidded to a halt, completely missing whatever minute detail Dean was fawning over as he stared at their interlaced fingers. When the car’s owner came over to chat, Gabriel tried to subtly pull away and give Dean his space, only to have his fingers locked in a vice-like grip. 

 

“You sure know your cars, son.” The older man grinned at Dean as he leaned against the fender. 

 

“Who doesn’t love American muscle? The black ‘67 Impala in lot four is my Baby,” There was a hint of pride in his voice, “And this one owns the ‘69 Camaro beside her.” Dean still hadn’t let go of Gabriel’s hand, though he seemed to suddenly realize what he was doing and every muscle in his body tensed. The grey-haired mechanic’s mustache twitched up as though he was fighting a smile.

 

“Well then, I’ll have to mosey over and have a look later on. You boys staying the weekend, or just passin’ by?” When the snide remark Dean had obviously been expecting didn’t come, the Winchester relaxed again. 

 

“We’ll be here the weekend.” Gabriel supplied, giving Dean’s fingers a reassuring squeeze. Their newfound friend really did smile at that.

 

“I expect my husband and I will be seeing you around, then.” 

 

Dean stared after him as the mechanic wandered away to talk to more people. Finally, he huffed a soft laugh and glanced over at his companion. 

 

“Ready to keep going?” Bottle-green eyes met amber and Dean felt a pulse of heat creep up his spine.

 

Gabriel winked. “I’m just following your lead, Dean-o!” 


End file.
